By Chris Snellgrove
| Printed 15 seconds in the past

Qui-Gon Jinn’s demise in The Phantom Menace was really surprising, placing Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lives on what would in the end be a deadly collision course. Nonetheless, many followers see his demise as the desire of the Drive…one thing that needed to occur to ultimately topple Palpatine’s Empire. However the fact is that Qui-Gon merely sealed his personal destiny by stopping the troopers on Naboo from attacking Darth Maul.

Everybody remembers the scene the place Maul is revealed, and Qui-Gon tells the troopers to face down as a result of he and Obi-Wan “will deal with this.” It’s a fan-favorite second that precedes the sick three-way lightsaber duel that’s by far the perfect a part of The Phantom Menace. However because of the occasions of Order 66, we all know that if Qui-Gon may recover from his pleasure and order Naboo’s troopers to fireplace on Darth Maul, he may nearly actually have prevented his demise.

When The Phantom Menace got here out, Qui-Gon dismissing these troops made sense…in spite of everything, what may common troopers do in opposition to a Darkish Lord of the Sith? However in Revenge of the Sith, we see simply how efficient the Clone Troopers have been at killing Jedi as a result of even probably the most gifted area wizards can solely deflect so many blaster pictures without delay. Qui-Gon Jinn had at least 18 troopers at his command, and if he ordered them to fireplace on Darth Maul, the Sith might be defeated and the Jedi’s demise averted.

It’s doable that Qui-Gon was merely attempting to protect lives and was anxious that Maul would have reduce via these troops like a sizzling lightsaber via butter. However his alternative continues to be irresponsible as a result of a Sith posed a serious existential menace to everybody on the planet and, fairly presumably, everybody within the galaxy. If Qui-Gon Jinn needed to stop as many deaths as doable, he ought to have been prepared to sacrifice the troopers’ lives somewhat than gamble that he and Obi-Wan can be sufficient to cease this new menace.

And it was of venture: the Sith was capable of outfox and in the end kill the Jedi Grasp, and it was a miracle that fledgling Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi was capable of defeat Darth Maul. If Qui-Gon Jinn accepted the provide of navy help, he would have accomplished greater than forestall his personal demise…he would have stacked the chances of their favor in opposition to the primary Sith the Jedi encountered in one thousand years. And contemplating that Jedi practice with laser-firing remotes, the Jedi Grasp ought to have identified it will be unattainable for Maul to deflect 18 blasters continuously firing at him unexpectedly.

Qui-Gon Jinn may need been a smart and highly effective Jedi, however the unhappy fact is that his demise was brought on by his personal pleasure. He had a small military at his command who have been prepared and capable of tackle Darth Maul, and we all know from the occasions of Order 66 that even probably the most expert Drive customers can’t deflect a ton of directed laser fireplace. Happily, Qui-Gon’s demise had one upside: poor Liam Neeson not needed to appear like he cared whereas delivering gobbleygook traces about midichlorians in between boring scenes with a CGI area rabbit.